EEOC Finds Against University of Washington in Age Discrimination Case

There was an article about an interesting age discrimination case against the University of Washington.  The case was filed by Warren Guntheroth, an 80 year old doctor at the UW Medical Center.  In 2004, the UW paid $35 million for overbilling Medicare and Medicaid.  At the time, Guntheroth blamed the dean of the medical school.  He now claims that the school retaliated against him by questioning his competence, hiring people to review Guntheroth’s treatment of patience, and ordering an assessment of his work.  In the EEOC action, Guntheroth also alleged age discrimination.  The EEOC found “reasonable cause” to support the charge.  According to the article, only 4 percent to 10 percent of EEOC cases result in a “reasonable cause” finding.  Apparently, the UW disputes the finding and has refused to participate in a proposed settlement, and Guntheroth has no plans to pursue litigation concerning the matter.